will exist on the earth, after we are gone, exceed all conception. If their happiness depends on us, our charge in relation to them is solemn and awful, and our negligence and unfaithfulness will involve us in most tremendous guilt.

The excellence of the scriptures demonstrates our obligation to convey them to posterity.

We wish, that our children may grow up in such justness of sentiments and propriety of manners, as to be agreeable and useful in their day. And what can we do so conducive to this end, as to fill their minds with the noble sentiments, and form their manners by the holy precepts contained in these lively oracles? By these they may be led to just views of themselves and of mankind-of God and of a future life. By these they may be taught the temper and duty, which belong to all relations and conditions, and may learn how they ought to walk, that they may be accepted of God and approved of men.

These oracles, wherever they have their influence, purify the mind, restrain the passions, elevate the thoughts, smooth the language, polish the behaviour, and render men courteous, friendly and beneficent to one another in all their social intercourse and connexions. The things which are honest, just and pure, are lovely and of good report. Where there is any virtue, there will always be some praise. The young must cleanse their way by taking heed thereto according to God's word.

In the education of our children, we aim not merely at their subsistence, but also at their reputation; We think it not enough to teach them manual labour; we would also form them to a decent behaviour. The former they may learn, and yet be vexatious in society and odious to mankind. The latter they best learn from the pure precepts scripture.

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Whatever pains a parent may take to give his children an agreeable education, if he makes a knowledge of scripture no part of their education, he overlooks that which is most essential in the case. He may send them abroad to acquire a knowledge of the world and an easiness of behaviour; but if they go abroad without religious sentiments and principles, they are exposed to every snare and temptation, and their manners, instead of being refined and improved, will probably be more corrupted and depraved by conversing with the world. The unprincipled youth will always be ready to hear the instructions, which cause to err from the words of knowledge. And such instructions he will often find. There is a native depravity, which fondly listens to evil suggestions. This is corrected only by the influence of those pure sentiments, which are derived from revelation.

If we regard the temporal, much rather ought we to regard the eternal happiness of posterity. The former is promoted by the knowledge of the scriptures. The latter essentially depends on this.

Let us conceive, then, that there will be, for many ages, a succession of mortals on earth, who, after a short probation, will pass to another world, to exist eternally there. Let us conceive, that we now have in our hands a sacred book, which contains all the instructions necessary to prevent their misery and ensure their happiness in the eternal state before them. Let us conceive that their enjoyment of this inspired volume may probably depend on our care to commit it to our immediate successors, who will be under the same obligation to convey it to theirs. Under these impressions shall we not feel a sacred duty lying upon us to hand this book to those who stand next to us, that they may live by it, and may convey it still further on, and that thus it may reach to distant ages?

We are industrious in our callings to acquire property. We expect to leave it; but we hope our children will take and enjoy it after us. And will

we not take some thought for their existence in another world, where their duration will be eternal, and their happiness may be perfect? If we convey to them our skill in business, and the utensils of our occupation, that they may acquire property, as we have done before them, ought we not much rather to train them up in a knowledge of, reverence for, and obedience to the holy scriptures, that they may acquire a meetness for felicity in the world

to come?

If we believe the scriptures to be divine, we cannot doubt our obligation to obey them ourselves, and transmit them to our children.

It then deserves our enquiry, how this transmission shall be made.

Our care must be primarily directed to those, who are on the stage with us. Them who shall be born we must leave to the care of the generation, which shall immediately precede them. By a proper education of our next descendants we make the best provision in our power for remote posterity.

That we may convey God's oracles to our descendants, we must make a pious use of them ourselves. If we treat them with careless neglect, there is little hope that our children will receive them with

reverence.

As it is incumbent on the head of a family to maintain the stated worship of God in his house, so it is proper, that, in connexion with this, he should daily read a portion of the sacred scriptures. When the young hear them read in this connexion, their minds will be more easily impressed with a reverence for them and with a sense of their importance. It is of great use that the scriptures should be

read in our schools.

The design of such institutions is, not only to instruct youth in the arts which relate to secular business, but also to instil into them pious sentiments and form them to virtuous manners. Care should always be taken, that the persons employed as instructors should be of a religious character, and of an exemplary conversation, and capable of inculcating pious sentiments, as well as of teaching the elements of science. And certainly a book, which contains the great principles and duties of religion, should be constantly used in those nurseries of knowledge and virtue. Other books may doubtless be introduced with advantage; but this should by no means be excluded. By the daily use of it in these little seminaries our children may not only learn to read it with propriety, but acquire a greater acquaintance with it and respect for it.

As there is no book so instructive, so there is none so entertaining. Many of its historical relations are adapted to enlarge the mind, interest the feelings and form the manners. There is in it such a variety of matter, that, in conversing with it, the youthful mind will not be sated.

Let us take great care that we never treat the scriptures, or any part of them disrespectfully in the hearing of our families, or of any others.

An unguarded word may make an unfavourable impression on tender minds. They who throw out in company, especially in the presence of the young, ludicrous cavils and captious objections against the scriptures, discover not only a corrupt heart, but a want of common decency. No man of tolerable breeding will wantonly ridicule that, which wise and good men revere. He who endeavours to corrupt the youth of other families, and to obliterate the sober sentiments, in which they have been educated, is guilty of an outrage on the family government of his neighbours, as well as of

gross impiety to God. He shows an enmity to mankind, as well as to truth; a hatred of goodness itself, as well as a disinclination to practise it.

We never should allow our children to read those books which treat religion with ridicule, as most books do, which are written against the scriptures.

Infidel writers do little in a way of candid reasoning. They depend chiefly, for the support of their guilty cause, on wit, banter and mockery. Thus they hope to corrupt the weak, and deceive the simple. Such books cannot be useful to any. They are dangerous to many. They are peculiarly dangerous to the young, whose minds are not sufficiently exercised to discern both good and evil. It is a wise caution of Solomon, "Cease, my son, to hear the instructions, which cause to err from the words of knowledge."

The scriptures teach and inculcate nothing which is evil-nothing but what is good in practice. Our children, by believing and obeying this book, will not become worse, but better members of the family and of society. And nothing but an implacable enmity to virtue can induce a man to corrupt the youth from the purity of its doctrines and precepts.

A man arrived to the age of discernment ought to examine the evidences on which the scriptures stand. But in order to judge of their truth and authority, he need not read every wicked book that he hears of, nor listen to every slander which is cast on the bible. The evidences of the gospel are clear and decisive; and when infidels resort to ridicule, they betray a consciousness, that the gospel will stand the test of reason.

If we would transmit the scriptures to posterity, we must maintain the religious order, which God has instituted.

The apostle says, "The church is the pillar and ground of the truth." It is by means of the regular